The fiasco that was the 77-hour trip passengers endured to get from Orlando, Florida, to London's Gatwick Airport last weekend was, firstly, yet another example of shambolic treatment of passengers by British Airways. Last year there was the IT meltdown which left tens of thousands of travellers stranded at airports around the world, and just two months ago, a data breach exposed the credit card details of hundreds of thousands of customers. Many have laid the blame at cost-cutting CEO Alex Cruz, who took charge of the airline in 2016 and has delivered increased profits apparently even as the airline has faced massive compensation claims.
Last weekend's delays, which saw BA flight 2036 from Florida to London delayed and then diverted to New York because of an unresolved technical issue, resulted in exhausted passengers, including families with children, left to sleep on the floor of JFK Airport. Under European rules, passengers were entitled to overnight accommodation, meals and monetary compensation in the event of a long delay, but not all received the first two due to an apparent lack of availability and the unexpected arrival time, and the second is still pending, as is a "goodwill gesture" announced on Monday.
While ever tighter turn-around times mean that airlines have less and less time to prepare aircraft for their next departure, no-one should be sleeping on the floor because airlines can't do their job or hope that passengers won't pursue the matter.
Yet travellers must also be aware that despite booking and paying for a flight, no departure is guaranteed. Read the small print of any airline ticket (often called "conditions of carriage") and you will find that an airline is only bound to make its best efforts to get you to a destination on time and if this does not happen, it may re-book you on another or later route, even if this involves significant delay and/or inconvenience. Airline passengers must always be prepared for the worst; only that way can you guard against a flight delay ruining your "dream holiday". Sadly, many people get so caught up in the romance of their trips that they are unprepared to act calmly and decisively precisely when they need to.
First, know that any departure is conditional upon a number of factors and only in the event of a significant delay - over 3 hours in the case of flights to, from or within from Europe - are you entitled to financial compensation. Despite what happened last weekend with British Airways, passengers on flights with American carriers from or within the United States are not entitled to any compensation or even a refund, as long as the airline re-books you within a reasonable time frame (usually up to 7 days).
Before you depart, print out your ticket and read the small print. Being able to point to this in the event of a delay is your message to airline staff that you can't be fobbed off. Second, note the different jurisdictions you are flying from and to (and between, if there is a stopover), and the "nationality" of the carrier itself. Know that while the quality and newness of UAE airlines seems to passengers from the very worst delays, if you booked a flight on a UAE carrier from London to Dubai to Singapore, you would only be eligible for compensation on the London to Dubai leg. Despite this, if the Dubai to Singapore or Singapore to Dubai portions of the flight were significantly delayed, it would be best practice for the airline to look after you, and usually this is the case.
If, in the course of a delay, you are offered compensation or vouchers, beware of signing anything which limits the liability of the carrier and at the very least, read and record whatever you do sign. Make sure you have a comprehensive travel insurance policy in place for any trip you take (an annual policy is best if you travel a lot) though be aware that payments can be low for delay but higher for flight cancellation and knock-on costs. Do not let the fact that you have insurance stop you from pressing the airline to deliver in the event of a delay; any insurance claim can be dealt with later and it is always better to seek direct redress.
Most importantly, prepare for the worst by imagining what would happen should your flight not take place as planned. This way, you will usually be pleasantly surprised.
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British Airways apologises after 77-hour Orlando to London 'plane journey from hell'
British Airways offers passengers on three-day delayed flight 'goodwill gesture'
Travel chaos at Heathrow strikes UAE-bound travellers
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MATCH INFO
Champions League last 16, first leg
Tottenham v RB Leipzig, Wednesday, midnight (UAE)
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
Western Clubs Champions League:
- Friday, Sep 8 - Abu Dhabi Harlequins v Bahrain
- Friday, Sep 15 – Kandy v Abu Dhabi Harlequins
- Friday, Sep 22 – Kandy v Bahrain
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Sweet%20Tooth
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
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Scoreline
Saudi Arabia 1-0 Japan
Saudi Arabia Al Muwallad 63’
RESULTS
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m
Winner: Omania, Saif Al Balushi (jockey), Ibrahim Al Hadhrami (trainer)
5.30pm: Conditions (PA) Dh85,000 1,600m
Winner: Brehaan, Richard Mullen, Ana Mendez
6pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 1,600m
Winner: Craving, Connor Beasley, Simon Crisford
6.30pm: The President’s Cup Prep (PA) Dh100,000 2,200m
Winner: Rmmas, Tadhg O’Shea, Jean de Roualle
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) Dh70,000 1,200m
Winner: Dahess D’Arabie, Connor Beasley, Helal Al Alawi
7.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m
Winner: Fertile De Croate, Sam Hitchcott, Ibrahim Aseel
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
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Key findings
- Over a period of seven years, a team of scientists analysed dietary data from 50,000 North American adults.
- Eating one or two meals a day was associated with a relative decrease in BMI, compared with three meals. Snacks count as a meal. Likewise, participants who ate more than three meals a day experienced an increase in BMI: the more meals a day, the greater the increase.
- People who ate breakfast experienced a relative decrease in their BMI compared with “breakfast-skippers”.
- Those who turned the eating day on its head to make breakfast the biggest meal of the day, did even better.
- But scrapping dinner altogether gave the best results. The study found that the BMI of subjects who had a long overnight fast (of 18 hours or more) decreased when compared even with those who had a medium overnight fast, of between 12 and 17 hours.
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Panipat
Director Ashutosh Gowariker
Produced Ashutosh Gowariker, Rohit Shelatkar, Reliance Entertainment
Cast Arjun Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt, Kriti Sanon, Mohnish Behl, Padmini Kolhapure, Zeenat Aman
Rating 3 /5 stars
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5